Shadow of the Sith makes Rise of Skywalker better. It fills in the many blanks of the movie. I honestly wish it came out before the movie. It's was also interesting to see Luke and Lando together.

I was really looking forward to this book, because I'm desperate for Luke Skywalker content prior to his appearance before The Last Jedi.

I was a little hesitant about the Lando content because he is a character I connect strongly with and I wasn't sure how he would be represented in this book. Overall I was pleased. The story has a very straightforward premise and gives names to the unnamed parents of Rey Skywalker.

However I struggled a bit with the pacing and the lack of focus on certain aspects I wanted more of. I really loved the female antagonist and the fact that Christopher pulled deeply from parts of the Aftermath Trilogy. A solid read even-though I was a little hungry for more info on the time period.

Shadow of the Sith is a fun action-adventure book that blends together elements from both the original and sequel trilogy while answering many of the questions we had coming out of The Rise of Skywalker. In parts, the sheer density of those answers can hold the book back, but, once it gets past some of the exposition-heavy plot, it really shines. This novel showcases Luke and Lando in the years after ROTJ, which is a timeline that has still been left unexplored in so many ways: Luke, now a full-fledged Jedi Master, is already running his Jedi Academy with the help of his nephew Ben Solo, but he feels a tremor in the Force that leaves him feeling unsettled; meanwhile, Lando is still reeling from the kidnapping of his daughter and is on a mission to find her and set things right. The elusive Ochi of Bestoon and the rise of a Sith Acolyte are what propel these two heroes into action and come together as one, despite the differences in their motivations — this is what makes the book most interesting. If you're a fan of weird Force stuff, there's plenty of that in here as well (literally, secrets only the Sith knew!). On the outskirts of the story, but still essential, are Rey and her parents Dathan and Miramir. It's great to see Rey's parents have a more fleshed-out characterization beyond what we see in the films, and it's very apparent they have a deep love of the daughter. Shadow of the Sith clocks in as one of the longest canonical books Del Rey has given us, so, with that in mind, mentally prepare yourself accordingly. That said, it's easy to follow along and you'll be eager to see the adventure through to its end.

Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith was written by Adam Chrisopher. This novel was published by Del-Rey (thanks for the ARC for review). This story takes place seventeen years after the events of Return of the Jedi.

SUMMARY: A young family is on the run. Dathan, Miramir, and little Rey (Palpatine) are being hunted down by the Sith Eternal Cultists. The family is to be taken to Exegol. New Republic forces stumble upon Dathan and Miramir's ship while the family was under attack, the Republic rescues the family, and files a report with them before the family heads back out into space.

Lando Calrissian is having the Sabbac game of his life, when he overhears a guy called Ochi of Bastoon talking with some goons about the Sith and kidnapping a girl. This hits hard for Lando, as his own daughter was taken from him six years ago, when she was just two years old! Lando then reaches out to Luke Skywalker, knowing that he would absolutely want to hear of any Sith happenings in the galaxy.

Luke has been training new students of the force, including his nephew, Ben Solo. Luke senses something dark on the horizon, but can't pin down exactly what it is. When Lando reaches out to him about Sith shenanigans, the two hit the road to save a family from being kidnapped and to find out more about the Sith and their secrets.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
I was pretty excited for this book, a new Luke story featuring Lando. The lesson I learned, once again, is to keep expectations low. What I thought was going to be a fun adventure, turned out to be a boring and depressing tale.

The author does a pretty good job with descriptions, however, sometimes it turns into a detail overload, describing the same thing in slightly different ways... it's very repetitive. The format of the shorter chapters is something I have really come to enjoy, it makes the story feel like it's moving along quickly.

The story heavily ties to the sequel trilogy, lightly touching on some of the questions that were raised by the films, but not fully answering anything. I get the feeling that the story group still doesn't really know how to handle characters or situations in this New Republic era. A lot of ancient Sith lore is mentioned, but never fully explored. While answering some questions from the sequels, it actually raises new questions... being vague and mysterious does not make a story good - the sequel films were vague and mysterious, and many fans were unsatisfied by the lack of depth with the story and characters.

Ochi, the Jedi Hunter that worked with Sidious and Vader, is now working for the Sith Eternal Cultists. He is in a public place, talking about working with the Sith, telling secrets, telling of his past, and how he's on a mission to kidnap a child. One, the word "kidnap" is a little too silly sounding in Star Wars. Two, Ochi is in PUBLIC, so EVERYONE can hear his plans.

At times, the story read like a YA or children's book. Some moments with the Sith Eternal Cultists that could have been creepy, come across cheesy. There is a planet that we visit, called Yoturba, I kept reading it as YouTuber, I can't be the only one that did this. That line from The Rise of Skywalker that goes something like "Somehow, Palptine has returned" is echoed in a way, "Somehow, the Sith blade knew it murdered and enjoyed it."

Do I recommend you read this novel? If you're a huge fan of the sequel trilogy, then you might enjoy this book. If you didn't like the sequels, this one may not be for you.

RATING: I have to give Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith 1/5 stars or a D. The story really lacked depth and good characterization of the characters we know and love.

This was a great addition to the wonderful world of Star Wars. It respects so many aspects of Star Wars old and new that I greatly appreciated.

Podcast Review: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1WPQ7r6mxCr7A6yN8y3uJF?si=d90b4362092849f9
Interview with Author: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0PhR2N1LOrbnGQyODAOsm9?si=9ecb3d354bf442b2

As a Lando fan, all I wanted for him when he appeared in the Sequel trilogy was for him to be happy. I was disappointed when I read the The Rise of Skywalker Novelization and read his daughter was kidnapped and longed for the story of Lando searching for his daughter. Adam Christopher absolutely delivered on this story. We've seen Lando be a businessman, scoundrel, gambler, gamesman, and general but now we get to see him as a father, and a desperate one at that. Seeing Lando cope with the emotions that only a parent can truly understand at the thought of losing your child and the search for the strength and hope to keep going and not give up. In spite of what he's lost he is still willing to help another family not go through what he is still going through. Speaking of that family, I loved Rey in the sequel trilogy and now I love her parents. Dathan and Miramar are a wonderful addition to the Star Wars universe and this book does a fantastic job connecting you to them and hoping destiny will change. Luke Skywalker is my favorite character and it was wonderful to see the hero we knew having evolved into a teacher and how to best grasp this legacy of the Jedi he's been handed. The hopefulness of his youth mixed with the practicality of age and experience is balanced wonderfully in this story. Finally, this book is self contained but contains a volume of Easter eggs and references to numerous other Star Wars media. This book answers a lot of questions and asks more that beg to be answered. I recommend this book to any Luke fan, Lando fan, Rey fan, Sequel fan, or Sith (you'll understand when you read it) fan.

Shadow of the Sith is onyl a partially successful novel, overwhelmed by the weight of having to answer too many questions left unresolved in 2019 by The Rise of Skywalker.
The story has an undeniable underlying charm and its contents make it an essential reading for the canonical timeline, considering its function as a bridge between the Original Trilogy and the Sequel that pulls Rey Skywalker's past a bit out of the shadows. Moreover, also the new role of the Last Jedi and the dark side's influence over the entire galaxy is further explored.
All these promising premises, however, collide with a highly inconstant narrative structure, limited and forced by its intrinsic need to connect at all costs the dots presented in the last movie trilogy. Characters and events appear most of the time forced to chase the events that must be depicted on paper, leading to accelerations that not only generate confusion in the reader but that prevent the novel from being cohesive and fluid.

Reading Shadow of the Sith, therefore, leaves a bittersweet feeling, imbued with the awareness of being in front of a story born to shore up the narrative criticalities of the movie to which it is directly connected, rather than to a piece inserted within a coherent and greater mosaic. Although what is narrated is in general well above mere sufficiency, in expressing the final vote it is therefore not possible to separate the writing from the purpose for which it was - undoubtedly - conceived; for this reason, the project achieves its objective only marginally.

Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith is, in so many ways, a definitive Star Wars experience. It's a monumental achievement in terms of franchise & IP storytelling, and just an exceedingly rich & rewarding fantasy epic as well. It manages to capture so much of what we love about this ongoing narrative. It's operatic, pulpy, and fantastical, but it never loses the personal touch. It's sentimental, it's warm, and it's thoughtful. Adam Christopher harnesses the voices of Luke Skywalker & Lando Calrissian to such great effect, and he fleshes out new characters that feel right at home standing alongside them (or facing them in some dark battles). This is essential reading for any Star Wars fan. It moves cinematically, it earns its length, and it enriches the tapestry of stories that it now lives inside of. It's now a benchmark of tie-in fiction. It tells a completely satisfying story in and of itself, but it also answers questions, introduces new lore, and constantly drops exciting, flavorful morsels for fans.

I'm so pleased that I was able to talk to Adam Christopher about this novel on Ahch-To Radio: A Star Wars Podcast. This man intimately understands Star Wars.

Set 18 years after Return of the Jedi, Shadow of the Sith follows two characters we haven’t seen very much of in this time period, Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian. And if your looking to see the Jedi Master and his old gambling friend in action once again then this is the book for you!

It’s been a long time since we saw him last but since ROTJ he has been building his Jedi Temple, training students, and collecting old Jedi and Sith artifacts. This Luke felt a lot like the Like Skywalker of Legends and a true Jedi Master. This is him at the height of his power and the novel doesn’t shy away from emphasizing just how strong he is. As for Lando, he’s been a mess since the loss of his daughter. He is a very broken and lost man who is looking for a purpose in this galaxy. Luke is very much a main character but this just feels a lot more like Landos book. And that’s just perfect.

I think this is where the book shines the most, characterizing these two legends. Christopher does such a solid job in this regard and finds ways to breathe new life into these characters who helped to make Star Wars what it is. And it’s clear just how much love he has for this franchise. He pulls in details from all across the Star Wars lore, most heavily from The Rise of Skywalker and the Aftermath books. If you’ve read those you’ll find some nice payoff here but if not don’t worry, it’s not required and you won’t be losing any story as a result. All this makes the book feel so rooted in the mythos of of Star Wars and giving it a solid foundation to stand upon.

Speaking of the story, this book is like the perfect piece to fit in that puzzle. It explains so many things from The Rise of Skywalker that were left unanswered in the film. You know how certain elements of the book will end due to the film but not how they will play out. Even if you don’t enjoy the sequels your bound to find something to enjoy here! Shadow of the Sith is a truly wonderful Star Wars novel that expands the lore around two famous characters and provides a thrilling read! I’d recommend this to any Star Wars fan as one of the best Star Wars books to date!

Reading canon material in the sequel era is always difficult because of my disagreements with some of the overall plot and character choices made, and because previous novels and comics were published while the sequel films were being made, and couldn’t touch certain things. Even now as the Mandalorian and other live action shows explore the post-ROTJ era, it can be frustrating for certain characters to be off limits or conspicuously absent. That being said, this was such a refreshing read. I might be biased because this was written and published after the sequels were finished, and because Lando is one of my favorite characters, but this novel did an absolutely outstanding job threading the needle of some of the weird and nonsensical things proposed in the Rise of Skywalker and connecting it with everything else. I genuinely cried at certain moments. I wish the sequels themselves had had this care for the characters, both new and legacy.

As a Lando fan, this novel and Last Shot are so deeply wonderful for me, and gave him the respect and depth he deserves. Exploring his friendship with Luke made them both such real and lived characters, and it felt like when I read the perfect fan fiction where the author just gets it.

Also I cannot recommend the audiobook more. While I love Marc Thompson dearly, William DeMeritt had such a TREMENDOUS performance and the production was stellar. Please bring him back for both Del Rey and Disney Star Wars audiobooks!

Being hunted across the galaxy Dathan, Miramir and their daughter Rey are running for their lives as an old darkness begins to rise once again casting a shadow on the force. Meanwhile the aging charmer Lando Calrissian is adrift having lost his daughter six years earlier. When he learns of the families plight he enlists the help of his old friend Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to help protect the family from the same tragedy that befell him years earlier.

Whether you're a fan of the Sequels or not this is exactly the story people have been crying out for since the start of the new canon. It's a Luke and Lando story set firmly in the gap between the two trilogies, 17 years after the Battle of Endor to be exact, giving us a sizable snapshot of the life of our heroes during this time and how the galaxy is still reeling from the end of the Empire. We see Luke be the Jedi Master we knew he'd become, albeit a little more isolated than his Legends counterpart which lends to his self-exile further down the timeline, and we see his Jedi Academy now with added Padawan Ben Solo. It's bold and it's crazy to actually be reading about these things after eight years of wishing for it. This still isn't THAT story though. This is very much Lando's book and all the better for it, with Luke being merely the foil for the necessary and genuinely compelling Sith menace.

This is a book for the book fans. It's a celebration of Star Wars literature in the way that Rebecca Roanhorse's Resistance Reborn was before it. Granted it's single biggest influence is The Rise of Skywalker but it pulls from works like Aftermath, Dark Legends, Battlefront 2 and both Soule and Pak's Darth Vader comic runs to build a foundation that feels legitimate and firmly rooted in established lore. Don't get me wrong though, if this is your first Star Wars book then it works incredibly well as a prequel to The Rise of Skywalker and it deftly handles retroactively planting the seeds for that movie's events whilst telling it's own dark tale of love and loss.

The story itself, however, is a rather simple and straightforward one that teases rather than delivers. We get glimpses and moments of greatness in a plot that's bold and exciting in concept and not so much in delivery. The villains tale is one that could have potentially grown into an awesome saga in itself that's seperate and different enough to not contradict the known stories further along the timeline. It never really lives up to it's promise though, ultimately feeling a little like a "monster of the week" episode. Hopefully Christopher has more up his sleeve because it's a fascinating concept that so much more could be done with. Luke's characterisation also feels empty with what little inner-monologue there is feeling flat. I understand that this is a new Luke for us but his reserved stoicism feels incredibly out of character, for the Luke of the Originals and the Sequels.

As mentioned previously though this is Lando's story and the emotional journey he goes on is affecting. This is a broken Lando trying to piece himself back together whilst being haunted by his younger arrogant self. These chapters are brilliant and worth the cover price alone. Similarly I felt the fear and desperation of the family and found myself rooting for them even though I knew it wasn't going to end as I was hoping. Miramir in particular is a wonderful character that I loved reading and I hope we can get some more stories of her one day, although I am struggling to think of what they could possibly be.

The families hunter, the terrifying Ochi of Bestoon, is also well represented here. This is an Ochi far away from the arrogant joker during the reign of the Empire and the Dawn. This is an Ochi that's been surving since he picked the wrong side during the galactic civil war. Aged and bitter Ochi is obsessed with finding his way back to Exegol to beg the Sith Eternal to fix him and relieve the pain he's suffered since his last visit there with Vader nearly twenty years previous. With the exception of his abuse of the adorable droid D-O I massively enjoyed these chapters following Ochi and his violent band of miscreants. They reminded me of how The High Republic books followed the Nihil and while it never quite reached those heights it was definitely captivating. The brother henchmen put me in mind of the Moomo brothers from the Old Republic comics and I loved it.

This is a good book and the content is dream-level stuff. Whilst it wasn't my favourite story I can tell it's going to be loved by many and I imagine this will be a catalyst for future stories set post-Endor. Christopher has cast his first stone in the Star Wars universe and we're going to be seeing the ripples for years to come. Bravo, sir.

Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher is a great read that answers some lingering questions and fills the gaps on some key plot points. The added focus on Rey and her parents was surprising, but I’m glad it was in the novel since it creates more depth for their sacrifice and Rey’s arc as a whole. The audiobook narrated by William DeMeritt is also spectacular; the voice effects used for the chapter titles is amazing and overall the narrator did a great job, too.

Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith is Splinter of the Mind’s Eye for the canon era.

When Adam Christopher’s Mandalorian novel was shelved in favor of a secret project, I was a little disappointed. I was excited to see what the revered sci-fi author had in store for Din Djarin and Grogu. While we may never get that story, Shadow of the Sith more than makes up for it.

Set halfway between 1983’s Return of the Jedi and 2015’s The Force Awakens, Shadow of the Sith is the essential stakes-filled novel Star Wars fans have been hoping for since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm and subsequent reboot of the canon.

Following Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian on a galaxy sprawling adventure to find and save a young family from a new Sith threat, Shadow serves as a prequel to The Rise of Skywalker. I was not a fan of certain creative decisions made for the final installment in the Skywalker Saga, but Adam Christopher’s interconnected storytelling of the tragic events leading up to the finale made me see it in a new light.

Thanks to Adam Christopher, Rey has always been the grandchild of Emperor Palpatine, and her taking on the Skywalker name has a new meaning for me. Luke’s selfless and heartbreaking attempt to save her makes her choice to take on his name all the more meaningful.

While Jedi Master Luke Skywalker was front and center with Rey in the film trilogy, Lando Calrissian is just as important to her story. Lando, having lost his own daughter to kidnappers, overhears Ochi of Bestoon’s plans to find and kidnap a young girl for an unknown employer, and is determined to stop him. Lando seeks out the help of Luke, and together they help lead Rey’s parents back to Jakku to stow her away safely.

In the way that Splinter of the Mind’s Eye opened a whole new world of storytelling for Star Wars, I truly believe Shadow of the Sith has done the same for the new canon.

I’ll try to keep this spoiler free, but I’d like to include a list of other Star Wars references I caught while reading Shadow of the Sith.
Direct References:
•The Aftermath Trilogy by Chuck Wendig
•Darth Vader by Charles Soule
•Darth Vader by Greg Pak
•Dark Legends by George Mann
Possible inspirations:
•Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston
•Catalyst by James Luceno

Shadow of the Sith van auteur Adam Christopher speelt zich 17 jaar na Return of the Jedi af en volgt verschillende verhaallijnen die met elkaar verweven zijn. We volgen Lando, Luke, Ochi of Bestoon, Miramir, Dathan en Rey, en Kiza die elk een eigen doel hebben, maar welke om verschillende redenen met elkaar verstrengeld raken.

Lando’s dochter Kadara is jaren geleden ontvoerd en hij is nog steeds naar haar opzoek. Maar aanknopingspunten vinden wordt steeds lastiger. Tot hij in een bar op een ruimtestation – waar vooral ongure figuren rondlopen – een gesprek opvangt. Ochi of Bestoon vertelt wat kameraden dat de Sith Eternal hem weer aan het werk gezet hebben, hij moet een familie voor ze vinden eb het zesjarige dochtertje voor de Sith Eternal ontvoeren. Het ontvoeren van een kind voor de Sith is wat Lando aanspoort om achter Ochi aan te gaan, maar om enig succes te hebben heeft hij daarvoor de hulp van een oude vriend nodig.

Luke Skywalker runt zijn Jedi Temple op Ossus, waar hij verschillende pupillen onder zijn hoede heeft, wanneer zijn oude vriend Lor San Tekka langskomt en hem vraagt mee te gaan naar een archeologische opgraving op een vergeten planeet, waar wellicht een oude Jedi Temple opgegraven zou kunnen worden. Bij de opgraving – die door student Beaumont Kin opgezet is – vinden ze geen Jedi Temple, maar wel scherven van oude objecten die een nare invloed hebben op de archeologiestudenten in de buurt.

Dathan, Miramir en hun zesjarige dochter Rey zijn op de vlucht voor de Sith Eternal, Dathan – een kloon van Sheev Palpatine – is jaren geleden van Exegol ontsnapt en de Sith Eternal vinden het hoog tijd dat hij terugkomt, hoewel ze meer interesse hebben in zijn dochter.

Alle verhalen beginnen in eerste instantie los van elkaar, maar naarmate het boek vordert vloeien ze steeds meer in elkaar over, Lando heeft Luke’s hulp nodig om Ochi te vinden en Dathan en zijn familie te redden, in de hoop zo een nieuw aanknopingspunt te vinden dat hem naar zijn eigen dochter zou kunnen leiden. Luke is uiteraard heel geïnteresseerd in de Sith Eternal, zeker omdat hij al tijden ongebruikelijke visioenen in de Force ziet van een duistere planeet die al heel lang aan de Sith verbonden lijkt te zijn.

Dit is de eerste keer dat we in deze tijdsperiode duiken, we zien een Luke van een jaar of 40, niet de onzekere jongen die opzoek is naar elk stukje kennis over de Force dat hij kan vinden om zichzelf als Jedi te bewijzen, maar de ervaren Jedi Master die zich min of meer gesetteld heeft en zijn kennis met een nieuwe generatie deelt. We zien een klein beetje van zijn temple, de pupillen die daar onderwezen worden, we zien een jonge Ben Solo die als één van zijn beste studenten de docenten bijstaat in Luke’s afwezigheid. Ja, docenten, want Luke is niet de enige die les geeft! Wie is bijvoorbeeld de mysterieuze oranje Twi’lek genaamd Enyo die de pupillen ook onderwijst? Is zij net als Luke een volwaardig Jedi, of enkel een ver gevorderde student?

We zien ook een nieuwe kant van Lando, hij is niet meer de zelfverzekerde schavuit die vooral leeft voor het avontuur van een goed Sabacc spel, we ontmoeten hem hier meer een depressieve man die met regelmaat te diep in het glaasje kijkt omdat hij ten einde raad is en na jaren zoeken nog geen stap dichter bij zijn verloren dochter gekomen is. Maar zijn fortuinlijke ontmoeting met Ochi blaast hem nieuw leven in en geeft hem opnieuw een doel om voor te vechten.

Een hoogtepunt is wat mij betreft het verhaal van Dathan en zijn familie. De drie zijn wanhopig opzoek naar een veilige plek, Dathan en Miramir willen er alles aan doen om hun dochter een veilig leven te geven, en hoewel we uit de films weten dat ze daar niet in slagen, leren we hier wel dat de drie een hele hechte band hebben, en ontdekken we ook dat er een hele goede reden is waarom de twee hun dochter bij Unkar Plutt achter gelaten hebben op Jakku. We leren een klein beetje over het verleden van Datahan, zijn tijd op Exegol, hoe hij daar als half gelukt kloonexperiment aan zijn lot overgelaten werd, hoe hij een beetje ronddwaalde in de citadel en uiteindelijk wist te ontsnappen. We komen te weten waar de twee gewoond hebben, hoe ze op Jakku terecht gekomen zijn en hoe ze Unkar hebben leren kennen en waarom hun dochter bij hem achterlaten een goed idee leek.

Hun verhaal maakt wat bijzondere sprongen om te verklaren waarom ze in Reys herinnering in The Force Awakens van Jakku vertrokken op Ochi’s schip, terwijl Ochi achter hun aanzat, maar Christopher weet daar een interessante verklaring voor te vinden. Hoewel het verhaal van Dathan en Miramir uiteindelijk door Ochi hardhandig beëindigd wordt, zijn beide personages naar mijn idee ontzettend interessant en ik zou heel graag verder in hun verleden duiken om meer van Miramir’s familie te zien, hun ontmoeting, en hun gezamenlijke vlucht voor de Sith Eternal. Hun korte leven zal vol interessante avonturen zitten.

Christophers is een ster in world building, en schrijft prachtige proza, het boek zit vol beschrijvingen van momenten en omgevingen die het geheel uitdiepen en geloofwaardig maken. Geen paginalange beschrijvingen van buffettafels, maar Ochi die door woestijnzand loopt terwijl zijn laars tot zijn hiel wegzakt, bijvoorbeeld. Of het schip van Dathan en Miramir dat door een elektrostatische barrière de hangar van een New Republic schip binnenvliegt waarbij ze de blauwe waas zien verdwijnen op het moment dat ze zich door die barrière bewegen. Quadnocs (verrekijkers) die voelbaar warm worden terwijl ze data verwerken van het beeld waar ze naar kijken. Allemaal kleine toevoegingen die het realisme ten goede komen.
Hoewel het boek – met 468 pagina’s en ruim 17 uur in audiovorm – één van de langste in jaren is, zijn er maar weinig momenten waar het tempo afneemt, ze zijn er wel, maar gelukkig maar weinig. Christopher brengt het verhaal vrij vlot op gang en toen het eenmaal bezig was bleef ik eigenlijk non-stop geïnteresseerd in wat er gaande was. Met de digitale versie van het boek was ik me er amper van bewust hoe lang het eigenlijk was.

De 17 uur en 12 minuten durende audioversie van het boek wordt voorgelezen door Star Wars nieuwkomer William DeMeritt. Zijn leestempo is erg prettig, vrij hoog maar niet zo snel dat je heel geconcentreerd moet luisteren. Zijn stem is vrij diep en erg prettig om naar te luisteren en een leuke afwisseling van de gebruikelijke vertellers. Zijn vertolking van verschillende stemmen is wat eentonig, het is erg duidelijk dat ze allemaal door dezelfde persoon gedaan zijn, maar dat is zeker geen probleem, elke stem is uniek genoeg, onder meer door gebruik van accenten, om zonder moeite te snappen wie er aan het woord is. Zijn Lando stem fluctueert erg tussen zijn eigen interpretatie en een – met vlagen – niet van Billy Dee Williams te onderscheiden versie. Uiteraard zijn er ook weer de nodige geluidseffecten en achtergrondmuziek aanwezig, en net als met de tekstvariant van het boek vergeet je bijna hoe lang het boek eigenlijk is omdat DeMeritt je aandacht goed vast weet te houden.

Shadow of the Sith geeft zo veel diepgang en achtergrond aan bekende en onbekende personages en gebeurtenissen dat het bijna als verplichte kost voelt. Iedereen die ook maar een beetje interesse in Rey’s afkomst heeft zal genieten van de momenten met haar en haar ouders. Mensen die graag Jedi Master Luke Skywalker in zijn element zien zullen smullen van de zelfverzekerde Jedi meester die we in dit boek volgen. En fans van de originele films zullen zich uitstekend vermaken met de interactie tussen Luke en Lando, een team-up die we niet vaak zien, maar die heel goed werkt. Fans van de Darth Vader comics waar Ochi een vrij prominente rol speelt zullen ook in hun nopjes zijn dat zijn verhaal hier verder gaat, al zijn die comics geen verplichte kost voor dit boek, als je ze niet gelezen hebt geeft Christopher genoeg informatie om alles prima te snappen. En ook Lor San Tekka’s optreden zet de deur open naar verdere verhalen waar mensen die benieuwd zijn naar zijn leven en de Church of the Force maar wat graag in zullen duiken.

Al met al kan ik stellen dat Shadow of the Sith een prima verhaal is, lang maar vlot, vol verwijzingen naar andere verhalen, zowel Canon als Legends. Er zijn emotionele momenten, actie momenten, oude bekenden, nieuwe personages, bekende planeten, geheel nieuwe en unieke locaties, diepgang in de Jedi en de Sith, en ga zo maar door. Ik denk dat er voor min of meer elke Star Wars fans wat wils te vinden is in de pagina’s van dit boek. Uiteraard zijn er wat momenten waar het tempo afneemt, maar in zijn geheel gezien denk ik dat de meeste mensen zich uitstekend met dit boek zullen vermaken.

En ik ben heel benieuwd wat dat ”vreselijke geheim op de planeet Lahsbane” is waar Lando het in zijn Calrissian Chronicles over heeft. Een Lando boek of Disney+ serie in aantocht? Laat maar komen!

My review for Dork Side of the Force:

Shadow of the Sith, the newest adult Star Wars novel, achieves the rare feat of feeling like it belongs in both the epic, adventurous Legends era and the heart- and soul-infused new canon. It’s a Luke Skywalker story. It’s a Lando Calrissian adventure. It’s a deliciously dark piece of Sith lore. It’s essential reading set in the time period we’ve been waiting years for.

At 496 pages, the book by Adam Christopher is on the lengthier end of the Star Wars book spectrum. But Shadow of the Sith‘s story flies by, telling an edge-of-your-seat tale that seamlessly weaves every era of Star Wars together and builds a sturdy bridge between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.

The overarching plotline of Christopher’s novel is the race to help Rey’s parents, Dathan and Miramir, escape the reach of the Sith and Ochi of Bestoon, who’s been tasked with hunting the family of three. Dathan is a Palpatine clone who escaped Exegol, met and married Miramir, and fathered little Rey, who’s about 6 years old in the novel.

At this time, it’s about 17 years after Return of the Jedi and 13 years before The Force Awakens. The galaxy is relatively at peace. The New Republic is in charge, and Luke Skywalker has created a new Jedi Order. His nephew Ben Solo is his first Padawan and helps run the fledgling Jedi temple and train a handful of Force-sensitive younglings.

Lando Calrissian, the swaggering and self-assured gambler-turned-general is now grappling with the grief of losing his daughter. He’s haunted by the loss of Kadara, who was kidnapped six years prior. He’s been scouring the galaxy for any sign of her, and this mission to help a family and their young daughter ignites a fire in him that he hasn’t felt since his days fighting for the Rebellion.

Each main character is haunted by something – though they have different reasons for their dedication to the novel’s mission.

Luke is haunted by visions of the Sith planet Exegol and a disturbance in the Force – all while trying to build the future of the Jedi. For Lando, it’s the hole left by his daughter.

Even Ochi is haunted by the decades of hunting and killing he’s done in dedication to the Sith and a lust for power.

For Dathan and Miramir, Rey is their entire world, their sun, their universe. Her safety is of the utmost priority, and they will do everything in their power to keep her safe.

These two know exactly who is hunting them and why. The book gives the perfect dose of backstory for both, exploring the origins of Miramir’s ingenious tech and engineering skills and how she met Dathan. It also shows that Miramir knew all about who Dathan is and where he came from – and she loves him unconditionally anyway.

Christopher also brilliantly explores the horrors of Dathan’s childhood as a surviving clone of Palpatine, but one who does not exhibit Force sensitivity. Growing up on Exegol with very little care and compassion, it’s astounding that Dathan is capable of the love he exhibits for his wife and daughter.

While Sith assassin and Jedi hunter Ochi of Bestoon is the primary antagonist, he’s not the only villain in this book. The titular and mysterious shadow of the Sith isn’t who you think it is. They’re a fascinating and tragic horror and one that left me craving more Sith legends.

Shadow of the Sith shines like a brilliant red lightsaber when it leans into dark, esoteric Sith lore. When Luke finally confronts this mysterious Sith worshipper, it gets real weird, real fast. The book dips a toe into tales of Star Wars horror I hope we’ll get to read and see more of very soon.

Christopher’s debut Star Wars novel is a high-stakes adventure that builds even more emotional dept into legacy characters like Luke and Lando while fusing them with newer ones like Rey, Dathan, and Miramir.

Though we know how this all ends – with both tragedy and hope – you can’t help but root for Rey’s brilliant and loveable parents as they race across the galaxy trying to keep their daughter safe from the clutches of the Sith.

The novel expands upon the heroic feats of the Luke Skywalker from the original trilogy and sets up the triumphs and tragedies experienced by the hermit Jedi Master of the sequel films. It also boosts the literary work of Chuck Wendig (the Aftermath trilogy) and George Mann, whose Dark Legends anthology is a perfectly creepy accompaniment to Shadow of the Sith.

The lengthy story fills in many of the gaps presented in The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker, providing must-needed history and context. But the novel is no filler episode.

Shadow of the Sith is its own unique story, expanding and strengthening beloved legacy characters and introducing fascinating new ones. It’s as much a tale of aging war heroes as it is about the emotional ties that bind or break people.

The book’s story will resonate with fans who’ve been in awe of Jedi Luke Skywalker for decades. And it will make newer fans crave even more New Republic-era stories.

Shadow of the Sith is essential, fundamental reading for every kind of Star Wars fan.

Adam Christopher takes us on a dark journey through the galaxy as our heroes try to illuminate the shadows.

Dark Legends! Wayfinder hunting! Drunk Ochi! Seeing stones! Haunted Sith relics! this book has it all!

Sometimes it’s strange to see how various stories in Star Wars storytelling weave together. The best stories tell their own compelling story, introduce new characters, expand on stories and ideas we already know, and add context to shed new light on existing stories. Adam Christopher manages to do all of these with this book. Not only is this book enjoyable, but I think my future rewatches of The Rise of Skywalker will benefit greatly from this story.

This is a must-read for every The Rise of Skywalker and Sith fan out there! Watching the machinations of the Sith Eternal take shape adds to the threat we already know stands against the light!

(Full review at TheRogueRebels.com)

I will be perfectly honest, I went into Shadow of the Sith unsure what to think of it, and hesitant at the premise to say the least. By the sound of things, it was going to at least partially bridge the gap between Star Wars Original and Sequel trilogies, which I am always here for. It was also going to be a Luke and Lando adventure, which was a welcome concept. But that it was going to be the book to double down on the Rey Palpatine plot introduced out of nowhere in The Rise of Skywalker was the part that gave me pause.

Now having read it, I find myself just as conflicted as when I started.

I want to say from the outset, that absolutely none of my issues lie with author Adam Christopher. Shadow of the Sith is an extremely well-written book. The lore he has added around the Sith, Sith acolytes and Exegol is all fascinating stuff. I had a lot of fun watching Luke and Lando run around the galaxy together. This would likely be a very different conversation if Episode IX hadn’t gone the way it had in several respects.

The biggest hurdle for me to clear was the introduction of Rey’s parents. We are introduced early on to Dathan and Miramir, a young couple on the run from Palpatine, seeking not only to save themselves but their young daughter, Rey. In all honesty, if they had just been a random doomed couple that Luke and Lando wanted to find and protect, I would have been all in on their story. As characters existing in a void, they are both sweet and compelling.

But knowing who exactly they are and what their existence cost Rey — one of my favorite characters in the whole saga — in terms of her agency and her character arc, any time they spoke of their daughter it was a sobering reminder that sadly diminished how invested I was in their overall story.

For what it’s worth, Christopher does his best by the characters in the story, attempting to inject a degree of foreshadowing to line this story up with their eventual sequel trilogy plots. But Lando’s dedication to finding his stolen daughter, and Luke’s belief that his nephew Ben will make a great Jedi one day just wind up feeling so tragic, because we know — as of right now — that these things will never come to pass.

All that said, the Sith side of the story is chilling and compelling, and I enjoyed it with zero caveats. Luke Skywalker discovering the darker side of the Sith, and the presence of Sith artifacts while facing a terrifying new threat? Yes, more of this kind of thing, please. I am always here for stories that make the world seem bigger rather than smaller.

It was always going to be a thankless task to try and make sense of some of the more out of left-field decisions made by J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio in The Rise of Skywalker. Ultimately I think the enjoyment of this book for others depends on how they felt about that film, and specifically how they felt about Rey Palpatine. If you liked that, you’ll like this. For me personally, the book hasn’t turned me off of Adam Christoper’s writing. As I said, it’s well written and I will happily read another Star Wars book of his should he write one.

Shadow of the Sith is out June 28, 2022. Special thank you to Del Rey for an advance copy for review purposes.

A core tenet of the “Star Wars” expanded universe is its ability to take underexplored ideas and characters from the films and expand them into something more satisfying. And it feels pretty safe to suggest that the sequel trilogy could greatly benefit from such expansion. Which is exactly what Adam Christopher's “Shadow of the Sith” tries to do. “Shadow of the Sith” dives headfirst into some of the sequel trilogy’s biggest questions. How did Palpatine orchestrate his resurrection? What happened to Rey’s parents before they died? Who killed them? And what were some of the characters from the Original Trilogy up to during all of this? On the surface, “Shadow of the Sith” bursts with captivating ideas and concepts. The problem is that it tries to tackle too many things at once, often completely losing its focus and failing to turn any of its ideas into a truly engaging narrative.

Nearly two decades after the fall of the Empire, Luke Skywalker senses a growing darkness in the Force - visions of a dark, dead planet. Elsewhere, a family desperately searches for somewhere safe to hide from those who would do them harm. But little do they know, an ancient Sith cult has put a bounty on their heads. Or, more specifically, on their daughter, Rey's. A bounty that Ochi of Bestoon is eager to collect. And elsewhere, still, Lando Calrissian distracts himself from his fruitless search to find his missing daughter. But while playing a game of Sabbac, he overhears the mysterious Ochi explaining recruiting a crew of bounty hunters. Lando’s quest to help this family and, if he's lucky, find a hint of his missing daughter draws Luke away from his newly-founded Jedi temple, and into the fray. And soon, it's a race against time as Luke and Lando try to help this family escape the shadow of the Sith.

Overall, “Shadow of the Sith” is a mixed bag of a read. For everything about it that works well, there's something else that keeps it from being as good as it could've been. But first, the positives. “Shadow of the Sith” does a lot of work to help bridge the gap between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Those who've been longing for more of Luke Skywalker, the Jedi Master, will find a lot to like. This is a Luke who’s confident in his abilities in the Force and eager to share that knowledge with others while remaining dedicated to learning as much as he can. Lando fans will similarly enjoy this glimpse at his actions between trilogies, especially those who felt underwhelmed by his appearance in “The Rise of Skywalker.” But most impressive is the book’s exploration of Rey’s parents - Dathan and Miramir. For how crucial they are to Rey’s arc in the sequel trilogy, we know surprisingly little about them. And it's nice to finally get a glimpse behind that curtain here.

So, what's the problem with the book? Put simply, it tries to do too many different things all at the same time. It's a Luke and Lando team up, following them on a quest to both stop the Sith and help a family in need. But it's also a story about that family, Rey’s family, and it tries to delve deeper into who they are, and what makes them tick. But it's also a story about Ochi of Bestoon, a character briefly mentioned in “The Rise of Skywalker,” and how and why he’s hunting down Rey’s family. And it's a story about an ancient Sith force trying to regain a foothold in the galaxy through an old mask and a young woman named Kiza. Any one of those stories could've easily made for a compelling novel. Even the combination of a couple of them might've been enjoyable. But cramming all of them together in the same book? It's too much.

Despite the ways Christopher tries to connect these storylines, it rarely feels like they needed to be connected. And instead of expanding the “Star Wars” universe, it does the thing the Prequel Trilogy often did and contracts it. Was there any real reason for Luke and Lando to be involved at all with Rey’s past? Christopher tries to use Lando's attempts to save Rey and her family as a way for him to make up for being unable to find his daughter after her kidnapping. But surely a more compelling story for Lando would've been to explore the immediate aftermath of said kidnapping, an event that's hinted at throughout this story (and in “The Rise of Skywalker”) but continues to go without exploration. And the bulk of Luke’s storyline feels so disconnected from Lando and Dathan/Miramir’s that it makes you question why it's part of this book at all.

Additionally, there's constantly so much going on all at the same time that you're never able to stay with one storyline long enough to properly get invested in it. There's little time for any meaningful character development after the first third of the book - give or take. Instead, it often feels like you're just reading a bunch of information, a collection of checkboxes getting ticked off, instead of a compelling story. There's so much going on but very little happens. Because at its heart, “Shadow of the Sith” isn't really telling its own story, but rather acting as a prelude for another story. A necessary prelude, to be sure, but a prelude nonetheless. But because of that, the book primarily has to spin its wheels setting up other stories instead of truly telling its own.

And not only does “Shadow of the Sith” not stand on its own, but it frequently ends up being almost wholly inaccessible to a casual fan. Despite Christopher’s fairly solid exposition, several major characters in the book are completely unfamiliar to those who only watch the movies. And while Christopher gives you about as much as you need to know for the story to work, it always feels like something’s missing. And not in the fun way that prompts you into diving further into the expanded universe, but in the frustrating way that makes it harder to get invested in the story you're reading. Those who are familiar with those characters, like Ochi and Kiza, who've had tons of stories in other expanded universe media will be delighted by their appearances here. But for everyone else, it might be a bit less appealing.

I really wanted to enjoy “Shadow of the Sith.” I've enjoyed a lot of the other books in the current “Star Wars” EU. But “Shadow of the Sith” just didn't quite work for me. While there are some captivating ideas scattered throughout the novel, everything feels a bit too disjointed for any of those ideas to end up being satisfyingly explored. The book constantly jumps between nearly half a dozen POV characters, hindering both the novel's pacing and the reader's ability to truly connect with the novel's characters. And as for the plot, there's simultaneously too much going on and nowhere near enough to support the nearly 500-page length. So, while I enjoyed parts of the book, I can't say I enjoyed it as a whole. I'm sure some fans will absolutely adore this book, and more power to them. But it just wasn't quite my cup of tea.

“Luke and I were tailing an old Jedi hunter.” The mysterious adventure of Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian mentioned in The Rise of Skywalker is finally revealed at full length in Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher. Although the final chapter of the Skywalker saga might have answered many questions and brought storylines to a close, it still left the fans with unsolved mysteries about Rey’s parents and the Jedi hunter Ochi of Bestoon. The latter’s characterization has been thoroughly developed in Greg Pak’s Darth Vader (2020) comic book series, but Rey’s parents’ journey to save their child from the Sith has only been briefly explained through a few flashbacks in the sequel trilogy. The reason why Rey was “sold” to Unkar Plutt on Jakku and their untimely death by the hands of Ochi is at the center of Shadow of the Sith and brings closure to the most intriguing and unanswered part of the sequel trilogy.

It is not very often that Star Wars publishing gets the greenlight to tell such a crucial part of the canon timeline outside the movies (and now TV series). Shadow of the Sith leaves no stone unturned, with multiple timelines that eventually come together to reveal the fate of Rey’s parents and their relentless hunter, Ochi of Bestoon. In the middle of this chase are Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian, who play crucial roles in the fate of Rey in unexpected ways. On one hand, Luke is in search of Sith artifacts, accompanied by his archeological friend Lor San Tekka. This side of the Jedi Master was briefly covered in Charles Soule’s The Rise of Kylo Ren comic miniseries and is further developed by Christopher in Shadow of the Sith. The discovery of dark side tomes and crystals lead to surreal Force visions of the lost world of the Sith, Exegol, and to new, mysterious enemies. Kiza, the masked figure holding a Sith lightsaber in the stunning cover art of Shadow of the Sith (by artist Juan Esteban Rodriguez) plays a crucial role in the novel, and although the new villain might not necessarily impact Rey’s parents’ journey directly, it still elevates the dangers of Luke’s path. On the other hand, Shadow of the Sith finds Lando Calrissian still searching for his lost daughter, which was hinted at in The Rise of Skywalker. His obsession with finding her leads him to find determination in helping Rey’s family escape the Sith’s clutches. The two old friends are joined by another key character in the novel, which will help with both indirectly rescuing Rey and at the same time face the new villain.

Although Shadow of the Sith taps into the dark side of the Force in the best way possible, the author does some amazing weightlifting for the characterization of Rey’s parents. The readers will finally get to know Dathan and Miramir and understand their motivations for ultimately leaving Rey behind on Jakku. Their story is compelling and tragic but brings a sense of hope in an otherwise incredibly dark story. Experiencing their struggles and determination to keep Rey safe keeps the readers engaged, and even though the book is nearly 500 pages long, each page, each chapter is so captivating that you won’t stop reading.

Adam Christopher’s novel not only strongly connects with The Rise of Skywalker, but it also sprinkles some elements from other books—bringing legends to life from George Mann’s Dark Legends to incorporating some of the characterization of Ochi of Bestoon from the latest Darth Vader comic series. Besides these nods and references, the author included probably one of the most unexpected (but welcomed) cameos ever, which you will have to find out once you dive into the book.

The perilous journey of Rey’s parents is finally revealed in Shadow of the Sith. This novel is a must read, especially for those who were not satisfied with the many unanswered questions from The Rise of Skywalker and the sequel trilogy as a whole. After reading this book, you will want to revisit those movies, because Shadow of the Sith brings new light to them, not just to Rey’s parents’ story but also to Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian at this point in the canon timeline. Are you ready to discover more mysteries and secrets of the Sith? Then make sure to pick up Shadow of the Sith (the audiobook is narrated by William DeMeritt), and let us know your thoughts on our social media channels.

As of now, no real review will be given for this book other than a DNF. Got about 20% through before I decided to tap out. I love Star Wars, but I'm not agreeing with the prose and the story hasn't gripped me at all.